It's All in the Smile
by verTori
Summary: Pre-Arrest Semi-AU: If Akira had to pinpoint an exact moment of his own change of heart, then it would start with her. Only this was far longer, completely natural, and irrevocably mutual.


"There must have been a reason—a beginning of your so-called justice.

Tell me the start, the trigger, the time that lead to everything.

Everyone has a past that affects their present.

Tell me yours."

Xxx

* * *

It was the end of summer and the start of the new year. With every returning third year came a new set of young first years, curious and cautious. Curious of what high school would entail: What clubs were available? Was my class going to be bearable, or will I suffer amongst the stupidity of morons? Will the classes be an easy pass, or a tear-jerking summer-session guarantee? Cautious of the shark tank that high schoolers undoubtedly are: Will the teacher be a pure representation of Satan, or a shining model of humility and humor? Will the upperclassmen bully us into buying them melon pan? Will the lowerclassmen be annoying, conceited brats (that they themselves once were)?

Class 1-A was supposed to be the creme of the crop. The seeds of future geniuses and teacher's pets. The class of winners, where the only losers were those who fell behind with an average score of 80 or below.

Most 1-A students were in the more traditional or impractical clubs, such as shogi or calligraphy. A handful included themselves in sports—the perfect student had a steady balance of grades and extracurricular, after all. And with these more passive clubs came an almost dull, placid personality. 1-A students were expectantly friendly, able to fraternize with the other students in Nakagawa High School, but often their personalities had an underlying similarity.

They had the drawl of fatigue, a certain passiveness. They acted, imitated, the social norm of a modest genius. Kind, quiet, obedient—their personalities were hardly worth remembering, it was their achievements that mattered the most. They fit the mold of what was thought to be a promising future citizen, most likely a politician or upstanding office worker.

Of course, to culture these future contributors to society, the Class 1-A curriculum was designed to be tougher, more intensive, more structured. Students were expected to learn faster, more efficiently, than the rest. They went through several chapters in two weeks, their free periods were filled with studying and reviewing for weekly tests, their home time was set to further hone their outside skills for club contests to represent only the best of the school.

Those in Class 1-A were stared at with awe by the other students for their tenacity and ability to survive in such a ruthless environment, and their future of undoubted prosperity for meeting the high expectations set by the adults.

And to lead these students were strict, but powerful teachers. They were all specialized for their subject, all well-geared to pass on their extensive knowledge to ready minds. In class 1-A, there was little room for argument, for the entire expanse was dedicated to lecturing and learning. These teachers taught their students the meanings of independence, of taking responsibility for all actions. These teachers were also once promising students, similar to the very class they taught, and their duty was to continue to cycle of prosperity, to continue cultivating the better members of society.

Upperclassmen outside of the older class 3-A, the third year version of class 1-A, were hardly found interacting with these students. They thought class 1-A to be filled with snobs, with arrogant freshmen who hardly knew the harsh reality of the 'real world,' and that soon they would surely learn their place as the inexperienced newbies. Of course, this sentiment was shared by every oncoming generation.

The other fellow underclassmen looked upon class 1-A with envy. After all, who didn't want to be so smart and talented? To be so well-regarded by adults and simply good at everything? All they had to do was breathe and they were already successful. How amazing it must be to be so perfect.

Yes, class 1-A was the epitome of society's ideals.

And it was in this class that she met him, and he met her, and then class 1-A was no longer just class 1-A.

X

* * *

"Good morning. I hope the day has been nice to you."

"Same to you."

He nodded to her, and they lapsed into the silence expected of class 1-A. It was the second day of the new year, and the standards were already firmly set into the class. All the students came to the consensus that every past class 1-A once realized as well:

Be prepared for class before the bell rings every day.

Be attentive and listen to every word the teachers say.

Follow the rules, and cause no trouble, or be dropped from the class to a dreaded 'lower status.'

Score high on every test, and become a respected member of your clubs.

Ultimately adhere to your duties as a class 1-A student.

These five ideas comprised the pillars upon which the students were confined to—they represented the guidelines that were to be followed in order to secure success.

The teacher walked in—the renowned Utawagi-sensei, for his strong voice and well-made lessons—and following him was someone that hardly matched the strict atmosphere. "Hello, class. I know this may seem strange, considering the timing, but please warmly welcome your new classmate. Her circumstances are quite unique, but I expect that this will change nothing for you all." He gestured towards her. "Please, introduce youself."

Said student nodded, and she let loose a bright smile. "Hi! The name's Kisaragi Nana." She struck a pose, typical peace sign held up. "It's nice to meet you all! I hope we'll all become friends this year. _Ooh_ , I'm so excited! This is my first time in the city, and everything is just _sooo_ cool!" Her eyes sparkled and her squeal of delight pierced the quietness awkwardly.

Utawagi-sensei coughed, eyes narrowing slightly at the display. "Please behave yourself Kisaragi. This is class 1-A, I expect everything will go well for and from you this year. With that being said, please seat yourself in the empty seat by Yakumo."

"Hmm, where?" She stood up on her toes and peered forward. "Oh, there!" She grimaced and rubbed the back of her head. "Um, sorry sensei, but can I sit closer to the front? You see, my eyesight's pretty bad. _Ooh_ , but I'll feel bad for making somebody move after everyone's already got to know each other. Oh, I'm so sorry for this, I knew I should've gotten glasses months ago, but I just couldn't find the time and—"

Utawagi-sensei held up his hand, shook his head, and sighed. "That's quite alright Kisaragi. We're all mature enough to exchange seats for the betterment of fellow students." He looked at one of the front desks. "Ichiro, go sit by Yakumo in the back, please. Kisaragi, go ahead and situate yourself next to Kurusu."

"Thank you sensei! You too, Ichiro-san! Hehe, sorry for the inconvenience." Nana plopped herself in her new seat, unintentionally hitting her seatmate with her bubblegum hair. "Wow, I can actually see from here. Thanks again sensei! Oh," She turned to the boy who was silently rubbing his left cheek and extended a hand. "It's great to meet ya! The name's Kisaragi Nana, but you already know that of course, so what's yours?"

He was hit by a strange sense of deja vu and merely stared at her outstretched hand in wonderment. On her wrist was an assortment of bracelets, their gaudy color almost matching her equally bright hair. The teachers were surely fuming over her blatant disregard for formal dress code.

"Umm...Are you going to shake my hand or leave me hanging?" She shook her hand, the tinkling of her bracelets reminding him to resume the pleasantries of introduction.

"Oh, um, It's a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Kurusu Akira. Please treat me well this year." He quickly shook her hand before retreating into himself.

Nana giggled. "What are you talking about, of course, I'll treat you well! Don't worry, we're gonna have so much fun this year. Ooh, I'm getting excited just thinking about it!" She nudged him with her elbow, grinning brightly.

He nodded nervously, unsure of how to act. How was he supposed to react to someone so out-of-tune with the rest of class 1-A? She was already a clear outlier amongst the other students. From her eye-catching appearance and loud introduction, Kisaragi Nana was going to be an entirely new experience, and he thought that it was surely going to be a bad one.

Akira felt a pinch on his cheek. "Hey, aren't you going to say anything back? You must be the quiet type, huh? Well, nothing we can't overcome. I'll get you out of your shell, no problem at all!"

"Kisaragi, Kurusu, quiet! This is no time to be talking. I'll be starting the lecture soon, so pay close attention. There will be a quiz on the content this Thursday, I advise that you all familiarize yourself with these theories and focus."

"Oh, sorry sensei! Won't happen again, I swear."

He could already see how troublesome she was going to be.

X

* * *

"Hey, Kurusu-kun! Wait up!" Said boy quickly stopped and steadied himself on the nearby wall. He grumbled under his breath and turned around, greeting the approaching girl with a plastered smile.

"What's wrong, Kisaragi-san?"

"Geez, you walked out of class super fast. I didn't think that lunch lines filled up that fast." Nana mumbled to herself. She tilted her head before grabbing Akira's hands. "Now that I've caught you though..."

He glanced down at his trapped hands, and looked back up with slight annoyance at the grinning girl.

"Please eat lunch with me!"

Akira silently cursed his fate for being stuck next to such an obnoxious girl. "I don't have any lunch." He tugged at his hands before feeling her own tighten in response.

Nana giggled and swung their hands around. "Oh, no worries! I always make extra to share with friends!" Nodding, she added,"I'm sure you'll enjoy it. You won't regret eating with me, yeah."

At his silence, she shook their hands even more. "Oh come on, don't be such a spoilsport!" She then gasped dramatically. "Do you already have a group to eat with? Oh, take me with you _pleaseee_! I wanna meet your friends, I'm sure it'll be fun!"

It was that same phrase again: 'It'll be fun.' How could eating lunch with him of all people possibly be enjoyable, especially for such an outgoing girl? She was better suited to eating with the other students—those who weren't in 1-A. The ones who freely talked on their cell phones during breaks and roamed the halls after excusing themselves for being 'sick.' The ones who spent time after school hanging around karaoke bars and cafes, chatting away. The ones who never exerted as much effort as he had in school.

Although Akira supposed those were the expectations they were given.

He stood still, contemplating an appropriate response, before sighing and shaking his head. "I don't know, Kisaragi-san. I'm not a very fun person to be with."

"Oh, pshaw. I'll be the judge of that. Now come on, let's go eat somewhere! I packed some sushi too, which means we have to sit somewhere nice. Ooh, how about the rooftop! Every high school has a great rooftop, right?"

The black-haired boy shook his head again. "The rooftop is off-limits to all students."

Nana lifted an eyebrow. "So? We just don't get caught, easy-peasy."

"It's against school rules," He stated bluntly, expecting that to shut her down.

She scoffed and began pulling him along towards the staircases.

"Hey, wait, where are we going?!"

"To the rooftop, where else?"

"Weren't you just listening to me? I said it's off-limits. Against school rules. You know what that means at least, right?"

"Didn't you just hear me too? I said as long as we don't get caught we'll be fine! Now don't yell so loud, you're gonna ruin our chances."

"What? Hey, Kisaragi, let go!"

"Why? We're just gonna go eat lunch. Nothing wrong with that."

"Eat lunch on the rooftop! Stop, there's no way I'm going to risk getting in trouble for your selfishness."

"Oh please! We're both benefitting from this. We both get to enjoy each other's company and eat good food in a nice, relaxing place. If you want more then aren't you the selfish one?"

"Oh please, it's clear you're forcing me here! Hey—don't push me!"

"Up we go! Watch your step."

X

* * *

"Troublesome woman and her stupid games."

"What was that?"

Akira rolled his eyes and looked away, causing Nana to smirk and lean closer.

Her breath fanned against his glasses. "Come on now, you can tell me."

He kept silent, merely scooting himself away.

"Aw, don't be shy. Or are you too scared to own up to your own words?" Nana taunted, purposely sneering her words.

This caused Akira to finally look the girl in the eye. "As if," He glared, cursing her for ruining his one break and dragging him up to a restricted area. "I said that you're a troublesome woman playing stupid games." He stated, his words dripping heavily with irritation.

"So a goody two shoes finally speaks his mind," Nana leaned back and laughed. "It didn't take a lot, to be honest."

He frowned further. "Take a lot for what?"

"To break the ice of course! What else could I mean?" She said lightly while unpacking her lunch. "Oh here, help yourself. I figure you're a sushi kind of guy so consider this payment for dealing with me, yeah." Nana pushed a box filled with a simple assortment of sushi towards the black-haired boy.

Akira glanced down at the box by his feet, grudgingly noting that it looked tasty. "I feel like taking this would mean defeat."

Nana popped the cover off her obento and snapped apart her wooden chopsticks. She made a small noise of confusion. "Over what? I didn't know we were competing."

"Not exactly..."He looked at her lunch. It was the standard onigiri with a side of vegetables and grilled mackerel. 'Her food's pretty simple compared to her crazy personality.' Akira thought offhandedly. 'I was expecting colored rice-shaped stars with a bag of store bought melon pan, but this is nice.'

"I guess it would be sort of like accepting that I broke the rules just to eat and talk."

Nana once again tilted her head. "Whaaat? _Ooh_ , Kurusu-kun, you already broke the rules just by being here so you might as well enjoy the food."

"You're the one that dragged me up here..." He grumbled, continuing to eye the sushi with faux indifference. To take or not to take? To enjoy or not to enjoy? To waste or not to waste?

On the other hand, Nana found her new found buddy's hesitation quite amusing. His poorly masked face resembled a constipated man and she found herself being more interested in her seatmate than her homemade food.

"You're gonna have to eat at some point ya know."

"Of course I'll eat eventually. I'm just—just not in the mood right now." Kurusu looked away and Nana found his small pout undeniably adorable.

"Ooh, you!" Akira flinched as the offending girl pinched his left cheek again. "Just give in already and indulge." She whispered into his ear like that snake to Adam and Eve. All seductively persuasive, or so Nana liked to believe.

Akira blanched and scooted away even further, prompting the insistent minx to move closer in return. "I'm sure I'll be fine without it."

"And I'm the president! Listen pal, you're super pale, and you're stick thin. If I sat on you, you would die." Nana remarked carelessly, oblivious to Akira's immediate frown.

"You're exaggerating."

"Care to test my theory?" She blinked. "Wait, no, nevermind. I don't want to risk my new best buddy and pal's life." Nana said sheepishly.

Akira merely stared dubiously at the girl. "New best buddy and pal?"

"I mean, do you have any other friends?"

"..."

"Well?"

"Point taken."

"Of course." Nana winked and set down her now finished obento. She then picked up a piece of sushi and held it up to the boy. "Now open up to a taste of bliss!"

Akira grumbled and pushed the hand away, as if its very existence was offensive. "No."

"Don't be shy, Kurusu-kun. We've already done so much together, we're basically related."

He wrinkled his nose, wisely choosing not to comment lest face another nonsensical disagreement.

"C'mon now, this is only for your own good."

"How is feeding me a piece of sushi for my own good?"

"'Cause I stuff my sushi with nutrition! It's how I keep my amazing body."

"Hardly— _oomph_!"

"See, now was that so hard?"

Akira glared at the girl and reluctantly admitted that the sushi tasted great. Of course, he didn't say it out loud.

"So what was that? Were you questioning the nutritional value of my sushi or my amazing body?"

He intelligently decided to keep quiet. He knew she was going to be troublesome, quite possibly in all the worst ways possible at this rate.

Akira swallowed. At least her cooking was delicious.

Xxx

* * *

A/N: I really don't think starting another series is good, but damn if I ignore my creative juices after witnessing the hotness that is the Joker God in P5. Bless his designer. BLESS.

On a more serious note, I guess this Akira is uniquely OOC in that this is his pre-arrest era. I wanted to craft a story where we find out how his personality, or what little was exposed in the game, came to be.

Thoughts? Opinions? Please Review! It's my legal drug. Thank you for reading anyways.

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides my character and current plot.


End file.
